How to stop System Volume Info folder growing on Sys. Res. Partition?

[Brds7t7]

Hi guys, just wondering if anyone had a solution to this.

I have my System Reserved partition set up as a 300mb partition. I set this as a custom size to get around the System Image backup error when it was just at 100mb.
I also keep my WinRE Recovery folder on there instead of on My C: partition.

Never had any problems with it until recently. The System Volume Information folder keeps growing and leaving me with little space on the partition, which again causes the Image backup errors.

So, how can I stop that folder from growing? I've tried all the obvious solutions like Disk Cleanup, Defrag, Deleting USN journal, Malware and A/V scans. I don't actually know what is writing to this partition/folder. From what I understand, that folder is specifically for System Restore? Even with it turned off the folder doesn't shrink down.

I'd like to keep my System Reserved partition. The only solution I can think of is to temporarily make the C: Drive the boot drive, delete the SR partition and then recreate it and set it back as the boot drive. But if that folder fills up again, I'll have to go through it all again.

But if there is another solution anyone has I'd love to hear it.

Thanks

 

[AddRAM]

What system backup image error ?

The SR partition should never grow, should never have a letter.(If you gave it a letter)

Unless you use Bitlocker, there is no reason to have a SR partition.

Why don`t you just reinstall windows to a pre defined partition ?

 

[Brds7t7]

what system backup image error ?

The SR partition should never grow, should never have a letter.

There`s no reason to even have a SR partition.

The SR partition doesn't have a letter, it isn't the partition growing just that folder.

It's got me out of a couple of scrapes when I've not had my recovery disk handy, so I always like to keep it.

 

[AddRAM]

How has it gotten you out of a couple of scrapes ?

Mark C Active and put the System files on C, get rid of the useless SR partition, then make an image.

You don`t need a SR partition.

 

[Brds7t7]

How has it gotten you out of a couple of scrapes ?

Mark C Active and put the System files on C, get rid of the useless SR partition, then make an image.

You don`t need a SR partition.

Hey AddRam, deleting it is not really an option for me I'm afraid. I keep my custom winre.wim file on there and my recovery bcd entries point to it. So I'd really like to keep it.

 

[AddRAM]

Alrighty then

I guess you`ll have to live with backup errors then.

I`ve never used a SR partition once I learned to eliminate it and use Windows imaging and Macrium and I`ve never had an issue, either with a re image to the same drive or to a new drive.

 

[DavidE]

Have you tried using a program such as WizTree or TreeSizeFree ?
Those programs should list the files in the System Volume Information folder.
Maybe you could figure out from that info what is writing to the folder.

 

[Brds7t7]

Alrighty then

I guess you`ll have to live with backup errors then.

I`ve never used a SR partition once I learned to eliminate it and use Windows imaging and Macrium and I`ve never had an issue, either with a re image to the same drive or to a new drive.

The default system reserved is pretty useless but it can be useful when putting your WinRE files on there. But just as a boot drive, yeah it's pretty pointless.
I like Macrium too but the free version lacks the incremental backups which I do like about the Windows Tool.

 

[Brds7t7]

Have you tried using a program such as WizTree or TreeSizeFree ?
Those programs should list the files in the System Volume Information folder.
Maybe you could figure out from that info what is writing to the folder.

Thanks David, I'll take a look at those and see if I can work out what's writing to the folder. It's only started happening recently.

Worst comes to worst I can recreate the partition. Not a huge chore just minor inconvenience

 

[AddRAM]

Incremental backups of data ?

You should not be storing data on your C drive, therefore there is no reason to do backups.

Store your data elsewhere, and make new images when the urge hits you, like weekly, at least.

I mean, where do you store Inc backups

 

[Brds7t7]

Incremental backups of data ?

You should not be storing data on your C drive, therefore there is no reason to do backups.

Store your data elsewhere, and make new images when the urge hits you, like weekly, at least.

I mean, where do you store Inc backups

No, I keep my data on my D drive.
I do incremental system images to an external HDD.
And folder to folder sync my D drive to separate partition on the external HDD.

 

[AddRAM]

OK, that`s a much better plan

 

[Brds7t7]

OK, that`s a much better plan

Yeah haha, definitely wouldn't keep my data on C Drive. Had a bad experience back in the Windows '98 days with that... Never again!

 

[gregrocker]

If you have created a custom WinRe image on System Reserved then that would cause it to be oversize, which is really only a concern if you use Win7 backup imaging.

If you're other assumption is that you won't have WinRE on F8 menu without System Reserved, that is a myth. The WinRE file is on C and is linked to F8 menu from there.

Can you explain exactly how you have customized System Reserved, because every other effort at this I've seen has been unnecessary based on mistaken assumptions like F8 WinRE link?

 

[Brds7t7]

If you have created a custom WinRe image on System Reserved then that would cause it to be oversize, which is really only a concern if you use Win7 backup imaging.

If you're other assumption is that you won't have WinRE on F8 menu without System Reserved, that is a myth. The WinRE file is on C and is linked to F8 menu from there.

Can you explain exactly how you have customized System Reserved, because every other effort at this I've seen has been unnecessary based on mistaken assumptions like F8 WinRE link?

Hi Greg, I'll link you to the original post I made back in 2012, most of the details are on page 3.

http://www.sevenforums.com/general-...-how-move-boot-system-reserved-partition.html

As I say, I've had no issues until last couple of weeks when the System Volume Information folder started growing.
I posted that before I even knew about Windows 8 and I've never installed it so I'm not 100% sure, but doesn't Windows 8 have the WinRE files on System Reserved?

 

[gregrocker]

WinRe is in excess of 150mb and has never been on System Reserved as far as I know. All that's there is Boot files and a SysVolInfo folder mainly used for Win7 Backup imaging. When a drive letter is assigned it can result in backup being written there which sometimes clogs it. I haven't seen that case lately so it may have been remedied by an Update. But I still would not have a letter on SysReserved.

What type of custom WinRe were you talking about?

 

[GokAy]

When someone says SysVol growing, I think of Avast bug but I guess you would also notice C space shrinking as well. And no idea if it would actually affect System Reserved.

 

[Brds7t7]

WinRe is in excess of 150mb and has never been on System Reserved as far as I know. All that's there is Boot files and a SysVolInfo folder mainly used for Win7 Backup imaging. When a drive letter is assigned it can result in backup being written there which sometimes clogs it. I haven't seen that case lately so it may have been remedied by an Update. But I still would not have a letter on SysReserved.

What type of custom WinRe were you talking about?

Greg, it isn't assigned a letter. I only assigned it a letter when I originally changed the bcd entries but then I immediately hid it.

When someone says SysVol growing, I think of Avast bug but I guess you would also notice C space shrinking as well. And no idea if it would actually affect System Reserved.

Funny you should say that GokAy, but I do use Avast and did think that might have something to do with it.
It's the only program I can think of that might be writing to the unmounted partition.

 

[GokAy]

Just copy pasting from an earlier post: See if it's applicable.

Please read https://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=162041.0
Also check https://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=166697.0
To answer you, no it won't matter if you delete restore points or change the % back to whatever you want it. It will come back after a restart and fill that space again.
You can try:
- go to control panel-> programs and features -> Avast -> change
- remove the component NG.
- change % back to 10% (windows default) or whatever you like it
- restart
- check if % is what you set
- check restore points (seems this NG delete old restore points when run out of space)
- manually create a restore point if there are none
- open command prompt ->vssadmin list shadowstorage
- see how much space it takes.
You can also try uninstalling Grimefighter.

 

[gregrocker]

Gradually most everyone here stopped recommending Avast co-equally with MSE a few years ago when it bloated up, same as the case with AVG years before.

If you want a more aggressive free AV which doesn't cause problems I'd try Panda Cloud.